research methods Flashcards
What is an open question
An open-ended question is a question that cannot be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, or with a static response. Open-ended questions are phrased as a statement which requires a longer response.
What is a closed question
A closed-ended question refers to any question for which a researcher provides research participants with options from which to choose a response. Closed-ended questions are sometimes phrased as a statement which requires a response. Closed questions can only be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’
What is a Qualitative data
Qualitative research is a type of research that aims to gather and analyse non-numerical data in order to gain an understanding of individuals’ social reality, including understanding their attitudes, beliefs, and motivation. involves thoughts and feelings
What is a Quantitative data
Quantitative data is data that can be counted or measured in numerical values. The two main types of quantitative data are discrete data and continuous data. Height in feet, age in years, and weight in pounds are examples of quantitative data. Qualitative data is descriptive data that is not expressed numerically
What is a Focus Group
A focus group is a group interview involving a small number of demographically similar people or participants who have other traits/experiences in common depending on the research objective of the study. Their reactions to specific researcher/evaluator-posed questions are studied
What is an interview
An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers. In common parlance, the word “interview” refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee
What is a Semi-Structured interview
Semi-structured interviews are a blend of structured and unstructured types of interviews. Unlike in an unstructured interview, the interviewer has an idea of what questions they will ask. Unlike in a structured interview, the phrasing and order of the questions is not set.
What is a structured interview
A structured interview is a systematic approach to interviewing where you ask the same predetermined questions to all candidates in the same order and you rate them with a standardized scoring system. This method is almost twice as effective as the traditional interview, reducing the likelihood of a bad hire.
What is an unstructured interview
An unstructured interview is a data collection method that relies on asking participants questions to collect data on a topic. Also known as non-directive interviewing, unstructured interviews do not have a set pattern and questions are not arranged in advance.
What is a survey
a survey is a list of questions aimed for extracting specific data from a particular group of people. Surveys may be conducted by phone, mail, via the internet, and also at street corners or in malls
What is random sampliling
Samples are chosen from a population either by using a random number table or a random number generator. Each member of the population has an equal, independent and known chance of being selected
What is volunteer sampling
Volunteer sampling is a sampling technique where participants self-select to become part of a study because they volunteer when asked, or respond to an advert.
What is stratified sampling
In stratified sampling, researchers divide subjects into subgroups called strata based on characteristics that they share (e.g., race, gender, educational attainment). Once divided, each subgroup is randomly sampled using another probability sampling method.
What is systematic sampling
Systematic sampling is a probability sampling method where researchers select members of the population at a regular interval – for example, by selecting every 15th person on a list of the population. If the population is in a random order, this can imitate the benefits of simple random sampling.
What is opportunity sampling
Opportunity sampling is a sampling technique used to select participants from a target group to take part in a research study. It consists of the researcher selecting anyone who is available and willing to take part in the study.
